On the very same day, the Israeli air force intercepted three projectiles launched from Lebanon towards Israel, raising the stakes of regional tensions even further. Two of these projectiles did not land over the border into Israel, but the case still led to instant Israeli military retaliation. On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah positions. These domestic attacks tragically killed at least five people, including a 12-year-old girl, and injured another 21. The strikes were an escalation that started the most serious flare-up since Israel’s massive destruction campaign against Hezbollah last September.
Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the recent rocket fire and claimed that it is still honoring the truce with Israel. The organization criticized Israel for using the incident as a “pretext” for it to start ultimately attacking on Lebanese soil. At the same time, Israel demands that the Lebanese government be responsible for all acts happening on Lebanese territory.
“The Lebanese government is responsible for everything that happens on its territory,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
More specifically, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated that they were worried about the increase in cross border violence. The global peacebuilding organization called on all sides to keep their promises to peace and threatened severe violations with consequences.
“We strongly urge all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made, especially when civilian lives and the fragile stability observed in recent months are at risk,” stated UNIFIL.
It’s a significant and worrying escalation return between Israel and Lebanon, but comes as Israel has resumed its military offensives in Gaza this week. Since January, a precarious ceasefire has largely prevailed in the besieged Palestinian territory. A new set of moves threatens to upend this unexpected stability.
Lebanon's presidency condemned what it described as "attempts to drag once again into a cycle of violence," highlighting fears that further hostilities could have widespread implications. The last time Hezbollah fired projectiles into Israel was in early December. This unfortunate incident serves as a reminder that peace in the region remains exceedingly fragile.
“Any further escalation of this volatile situation could have serious consequences for the region,” warned UNIFIL.
